TILLAGE machinery specialist Vaderstad has launched two new drills that will be shown for the first time at Agritechnica, in February, 2022.

First up, is its new Tempo L 16-24 Central Fill with a higher capacity for handling both seed and fertiliser in a bulk system. This high-speed precision planter holds the world record for planting 502.05 ha of maize in 24 hours, a record set in Hungary in 2017.

Mattias Hovnert, Vaderstad senior vice president sales and marketing, said: “The central fill functionality means that instead of filling seed in each of the row units, the farmer will only have to fill one large central hopper. The Tempo planter will then take care of the distribution of the seeds and fertiliser to each row unit; all this at world-record planting speed and precision.

The new Tempo L Central Fill will be available with either 16 or 24 rows, which allows for row spacing alternatives from 450 to 762mm, depending on the model. To match the high-capacity output, the machine is equipped with a new hopper that holds 2200 litres of seed and 5000 litres of fertiliser, making a total of 7200 litres.

The new hopper is equipped with two fans in the front, ensuring high-capacity metering of both seed and fertiliser. The technology behind the central fill system is intuitive as there is no central motor metering out seeds. Instead, each row unit regulates the number of seeds needed to assist its individual high-precision PowerShoot seed metering system.

New Vaderstad Inspire 1200C/S

Next up is the new Vaderstad Inspire 1200C/S drill which the company said was designed to combine high capacity with an exact seeding precision.

The new 1200C/S seed drill is aimed at farmers with high capacity needs. It is compact both in field and in transport and the combi version Inspire 1200C has one of the largest hoppers in its class.

Bjorn Jeansson, Vaderstad commercial product manager, said: “The heart of Inspire is its responsive double disc seed coulter system. It has an excellent ability to adapt to any irregularities on the field, thereby always keeping the seeding depth constant. The result is an impressive seed placement and an even emergence over the entire field.”

The seeder will be available in two different models, Inspire 1200S and Inspire 1200C – the seed only 1200S is equipped with a 5000 litre hopper for seeds, while the combi version 1200C has a 7200 litre hopper holding both seeds and fertiliser in separate compartments. When leaving the Inspire 1200C hopper, the seed and fertiliser is mixed into the same airstream and placed together into the soil.

A key feature is an ability to control the seeding output in eight separate sections. To ensure a constant and even product flow from the large hopper to the seed coulters, the seeds and fertiliser are metered out with high output precision from the large hopper via eight Fenix III metering units.

Bjorn Jeansson added: “Inspire 1200C/S is able to control the output in eight separate sections. This means that Inspire 1200C/S can conduct a variable rate as well as sectional control down to 1.5m sections. This is a unique precision feature in the 12m seed drill segment.”

When in the field the seeding operation is easily controlled via the iPad-based control system Vaderstad E-Control, which is also possible to connect with a ISOBUS task control system.

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